The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) just pushed through its busiest time of the year. If you've experienced delivery delays and other mail setbacks during the hectic holiday season, you're probably at least expecting service to become more manageable in the coming weeks. But while that might be the case for most customers, others will be facing new problems. The USPS is suspending services in certain parts of the U.S., with no timeline for a return. Read on to find out where the agency has just halted operations "until further notice."
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The USPS regularly updates consumers about service suspensions.
ShutterstockThere are few things more frustrating than arriving to your local post office during regular business hours just to find it's closed, or not getting your mail delivered with no explanation as to why. That's why the USPS created its Service Alerts tool in 2013—to provide online alerts about ongoing service disruptions. "Residential customers and small businesses can find out if mail is being delivered, or if their post offices are open," the Postal Service explains on its website.
Krista Finazzo, the current vice president of retail and delivery operations for the USPS, said in 2013 that the Service Alerts website was born out of feedback from customers following service disruptions due to natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy.
"We wanted more effective communication with our customers during service interruptions," she explained. "Now, residential consumers and business mailers have an easy, online location to learn the operating status of Post Office and mail processing facilities."
Now, new updates are alerting consumers to more Postal Service suspensions.
The agency is suspending services in new areas.
iStockIn the latest update to its Service Alerts website, the USPS drew attention to new operational issues. According to an alert posted Dec. 28, retail window services are now "temporarily suspended" at the Kingsport Main Post Office in Tennessee. However, "PO Box services will remain at this location," the USPS added in its update.
For retail services, the agency indicated two alternate locations customers can go to during the suspension: the Downtown Kingsport Station and the Colonial Heights branch. Both of these facilities are also located in Kingsport, Tennessee.
But this is not to the only recent USPS suspension. On Dec. 28, the communications team for the main post office in Chicago, Illinois, confirmed to local news station WGN-TV that "retail operations are temporarily suspended" at the facility on West Harrison Street. The agency has asked customers to find another USPS site for services right now.
There is currently no timeline for when these post offices will reopen.
ShutterstockThe post offices in Kingsport and in Chicago have both been closed for similar issues—and there is no telling when they will reopen as a result.
A separate local news release from the USPS revealed that the Kingsport suspension was because of a "sprinkler water main break." This facility will remain closed "until further notice," according to the Postal Service. "We appreciate the cooperation of our customers while we make necessary repairs," the agency added.
The Chicago post office was also closed temporarily "due to a water main break," USPS officials told WGN-TV. According to the news outlet, the water main broke on the first floor at the beginning of the week, causing flooding, ice, and damage in the facility.
"The Postal Service is assessing the water damage," the office's communications team said. WGN-TV reported that there is no word on when the agency is anticipating that the Chicago facility will reopen its retail operations.
The Postal Service still has other facilities closed as well.
ShutterstockThe most recent post offices closures are impacting residents of Kingsport and Chicago, but they're hardly the only USPS customers facing this problem. There are still several facilities that were previously closed by the Postal Service on a temporary basis that do not appear to have reopened yet.
Back in October, the agency temporarily closed both the Pemberton Post Office in Ohio and the Stanley Post Office in New York "due to safety concerns."
Both the facility in Pemberton and the one in Stanley will also remain closed "until further notice," according to the USPS. The Stanley Post Office needs its roof repaired, but a "timeframe for completion of repairs in Stanley has yet to be determined," the agency said in a news release.
Meanwhile, a USPS spokesperson told Dayton radio station WHIO that fire damage at the Pemberton Post Office is forcing them to move mail services, but gave no timeline for when operations would restart in Pemberton.
And on Nov. 19, the agency also suspended all operations at the Wisner Post Office in Louisiana "due to safety concerns. "The Postal Service did not reveal what the exact concerns are but did note that repairs needed to be made to the building. According to the agency, the suspension will remain in place "until further notice" and "until repairs can be made to the postal facility."
